Do you pre-qualify leads before the first call? Or just jump in?

Question

Curious how other agents handle this.

Lately I’ve had more first calls where I realize 10–15 minutes in that the lead:

- isn’t clear if it’s investment vs primary

- has no real budget yet

- or is just “exploring”

Do you:

- pre-qualify via email/form?

- just handle it live on the call?

- or accept that this is part of the job?

Genuinely curious what works best for you.

Also, I'd like to learn from your perspectives about:

- What info do you wish you had before the call?

- At what point do you decide a lead isn’t worth pursuing?

- Is this just the cost of doing business, or something you’ve tried to fix?

Thanks!

Brandon Vukelich · Answer

@Jihea Moon not sure what types of leads (residential buyers, sellers or investors) you're referring to or what's your source. Most of my online leads are investors and my goal with all of them is to always get them on a 15 min intro call. Most leads are not ready to transact tomorrow. They have questions and I need time to vet them further. My 10-15 min intro call is a very casual conversation where I try to do a lot of listening but I will ask them some prelim vetting questions. Some basics I like to learn are where are they from, where are they currently working/living (I'm interested in possible personal connections), what do they currently own, how much do they have ($$$) for a down payment + closing costs, are they pre-qualified, etc. IF I am satisfied that this lead is worth further time, my next step/goal is to get them scheduled for a new client consultation (usually via zoom). Otherwise, if not a great fit, I tell them or see if I can refer them to someone else and take a referral fee. Send me a DM if you'd like chat further about vetting/nurturing leads.

Paul Olusola · Answer

This is exactly the problem I built something to solve. An AI assistant that pre-qualifies every lead before they ever get to your calendar

filters out the just exploring types, confirms budget, investment vs primary, timeline, all of it automatically. By the time they book a call with you they’re already qualified. Happy to show you how it works if you’re curious

Erik Estrada · Answer

I think it depends on the kind of communication style the client prefers. If they are the phone call type, I just make sure to ask all the necessary questions upfront and write down what we discussed and send via email so I do not forget.

The easier way is having a Google Form and having all statements in writing. It really helps prevent the client that every now and then will misunderstand what you said on a call or not remember when you told them about important information.

Michael K Gallagher · Answer

Most of my leads come through BP, that in of itself is a bit of a pre qual in my mind.  But generally its just a goal to get them on a quick intro call to understand where they are at and they cater to what stage they are at.  Some are just still looking for info on the market so I cater to that, some know the market and want more dealflow and everything in between.

Bo Smith · Answer

I used to waste so much time on those calls too. Now I do a quick 2-minute pre-call where I just ask three things like timeline (when you looking to sell), situation (why selling), and motivation level 1-10. Saves me from those 15-minute "just exploring" conversations. The key is making it feel conversational, not like an interrogation. Do you find certain lead sources give you more tire kickers than others?

Kiernan LaFaver · Answer

Depending on where the lead comes from greatly dictates how I proceed with the call/qualification process. If its a Zillow or Realtor.com lead, they only want to look at the house and may not want to go through the entire screening process when its "well can't i just see the house?" Different lead sources have varying degrees of seriousness. Think random Zillow lead vs. personal refferal. If they aren't willing to discuss whats legally required to view the house (rep agreement/disclosures), it is pretty quickly a dead lead. Regardless of where lead comes from, I always setup a time to call and one of the first questions I ask is "is this for investment or are you lving in the property". Depending on answer, I pick which consultation sheet to fill out and questions to ask, either "investor" or "owner occupant". If its a Zillow lead, you need to decide to show a house with/without a prequal. Personally, not a fan for a multitude of reasons. If they say they aren't willing/ready to speak to a lender, its either a nurture or let go. Some leads nead nurturing and are serious, but just isn't the right time. Ideally, some sort of system is in place to nurture leads that just aren't ready yet, in which case you need to decide to follow up or move on. Unfortunately dead leads are just a big part of the job. After screening process/lending conversation happens, we go ahead and setup the showing!

Abel Curiel · Answer

Hello Jihea, great questions!

Do you:

- pre-qualify via email/form?

I try to pre-qualify via calendly link form (link is in my profile).

- just handle it live on the call?

This is common. As @Brandon Vukelich mentioned, many people are not ready to make a move ASAP so its good to get on a call, gather some personal & financial information, then keep in touch so you can help them when they're ready.

- or accept that this is part of the job?

It is part of the job, and so is follow-up. Find ways to keep in touch with your database systematically.If you get discouraged by someone not being qualified on the first call, your expectations are not aligned with this business.

Genuinely curious what works best for you.

What works best for me is to take every call I can (or delegate) and collect that person's email address. They'll get 50-100 annual emails from me and 5-10 calls/texts per year from me or my team. If applicable, we follow one another on social media for more impressions. This follow up leads to being top of mind and receiving more referrals.

Also, I'd like to learn from your perspectives about:

- What info do you wish you had before the call?

How the contact person found me/my team; motivation/reason for wanting to buy, invest, or sell; past RE experience; criteria (price range, location, etc.); phone & email; property address (if applicable). Having this information allows me to be prepared and/or do some homework.

- At what point do you decide a lead isn’t worth pursuing?

When they are disrespectful or ask me to stop contacting them. Aside from that, if they have a pulse, I will keep in touch in some form or another. Even if they're not qualified, they have family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. that they can connect me with and refer me to... hopefully! At the very least, they can write you a review highlighting ways you've educated them or added value to them

- Is this just the cost of doing business, or something you’ve tried to fix?

Cost of doing business. The best thing you can do is track your KPIs, learn from your mistakes, tighten your systems, find better ways to generate leads, and improve continuously.

All the best!

Abel

Do you pre-qualify leads before the first call? Or just jump in?

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