Text Message Marketing for Agents: Build Relationships and Win More Clients with Weekly SOI Outreach
Text message marketing lets you reach your best contacts in seconds instead of hoping they notice another email or social post. When you combine a weekly sphere of influence text block with a full marketing system like The Best Real Estate Marketing Agency: Why Real Estate Agents Choose AmericasBestMarketing.com, you turn friendly check ins into a steady, trackable source of listings and referrals.
Why Direct Texting Becomes Your SOI Engine
Text messages sit in the same inbox as family and close friends, so your outreach feels personal instead of promotional. A short line that uses the client name and one relevant detail cuts through the noise faster than any blast email or social post.
Real estate text message marketing works because it creates instant visibility and instant recall. The notification shows your name, your message, and a tiny preview that reminds the contact you are the person they trust for local market questions and move decisions.
- High open rates because the phone treats texts as personal communication.
- Fast feedback loops that reveal who is ready to talk in real time.
- Simple copy that takes less time to write than a polished email campaign.
The Weekly SOI Text Block That Runs Your Pipeline
The engine behind this channel is a single protected thirty minute block each week. Set it for the same time every Monday morning, pull a small list of ten to fifteen contacts, and treat the block like an appointment with your future income.
Start by segmenting the list. One week focus on clients who closed one to two years ago. The next week focus on neighbors around a recent listing or past open house visitors. Review the last note in your CRM for each person, choose a simple script, and tweak one line so it references a neighborhood, job detail, or recent life event you noted.
Most agents chase open rate and never define a clear purpose for each text thread. The real asset is the reply that moves a contact from quiet to talking. Track reply rate for every block, then ask one question in each text that makes a response effortless rather than clever.
Three Ready To Use Text Script Frameworks
The simple check in text that resets the relationship
Dialogue: agent
- Hook line: “Hey Carla, thought of you when I saw the new sales numbers in your area.”
- Follow up: “How is the house feeling these days. Anything you wish you could change about it.”
- Soft close: “If you ever want a quick value check, I can run it and text you the highlights.”
On screen notes for the agent
- Use first name and a real reference.
- Ask one easy question that invites a reply.
- End with a light offer, not a push.
Execution beats
- Send early in the day so your reply window is wide.
- Reply within five minutes when they answer so the thread feels live.
- Move any clear opportunity into your CRM and set a follow up task.
- Tag the contact as warm so you can add them to your next email campaign.
Treat this script as a weekly warm up. It keeps your name in their phone without sounding like a pitch.
The value drop text that shares one useful market insight
Dialogue: agent
- Hook line: “Quick heads up about Oak Ridge sales. Prices moved again last month.”
- Value line: “Average sale landed about four percent above list for homes like yours.”
- Invite line: “Want a two line summary of what that means for your house. I can text it over today.”
On screen notes for the agent
- Use a real neighborhood name, not the whole city.
- Keep numbers simple and rounded.
- Always ask permission before sending more detail.
Execution beats
- Pull one clean stat from your market report or MLS.
- Log the script name and date inside the contact record.
- If they say yes, send a short follow up text plus a link to your market page on IDX-Integrated Websites.
- Set a reminder to circle back in ninety days with a fresh stat.
This script positions you as the local analyst who checks in with facts instead of pressure.
The referral text that asks without sounding needy
Dialogue: agent
- Hook line: “I am checking in with a few favorite clients this week.”
- Bridge line: “I have room to help a couple more families who need clear guidance on timing a move.”
- Ask line: “If someone close to you brings up real estate, would you feel comfortable connecting us by text or group chat.”
- Gratitude line: “Either way I appreciate you. Hope the kitchen is still treating you well.”
On screen notes for the agent
- Use this only with people who already trust you.
- One clear ask per quarter is enough.
- Always thank them even if they never send a name.
Execution beats
- Send this after at least two value focused texts in prior months.
- If they share a name, ask for a group intro so consent is clear.
- Log the referral source and outcome inside your CRM.
This script keeps your ask human and specific so your clients can picture one person to send your way.
Production Plans You Can Repeat Every Quarter
You do not need complex automation to win with text. You need a repeatable plan for who you contact, what you say, and how you log the outcome. Two simple tiers cover most agents and keep the channel clean, legal, and profitable.
Use your personal phone and basic carrier plan. Each week text fifteen contacts from your sphere and past clients. Cap contact at one outbound text per person per month. Focus on genuine check ins and light value drops, then log every reply inside your CRM or a simple sheet so nothing slips.
Invest one hundred to one hundred fifty dollars per month in a texting add on that connects to your CRM. Build one template library of scripts, queue twenty to thirty contacts per week, and cap automations at two campaigns per contact. Let the system handle logging so you can spend your time on replies and appointments.
KPI Cadence And Pipeline Math For Texting
Text message marketing rewards consistency, not volume. Instead of bragging about how many contacts you blasted, track how many real conversations and appointments came out of each thirty minute block. Four core metrics keep the channel honest.
Response rate shows whether your scripts land. Appointment conversion shows whether you can move from chat to calendar. Referral lead velocity shows whether your sphere trusts you enough to introduce you. Time value per hour shows whether your income matches the time you invest in the channel.
| Metric | How to calculate | Target benchmark | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response rate | Total replies divided by total texts sent, times one hundred. | 15%+ | Shows if your script and timing earn quick replies. |
| Appointment rate | Appointments set divided by positive replies, times one hundred. | 5–10% | Reveals how well you turn replies into calendar next steps. |
| Referral velocity | New inbound referrals from texts each quarter. | 3+/quarter | Confirms your sphere trusts you enough to introduce you. |
| Time value | Gross income from text sourced deals divided by total texting hours. | $200+/hr | Proves the weekly thirty-minute block belongs near the top of your schedule. |
Compliance, Consent, And Respect For The Inbox
Text message marketing runs under strict consumer protection rules. To stay on the right side of the law and on the right side of your clients, only text people who know you, who shared their number directly with you, and who can easily stop messages with a single reply.
If you use any automated tool, gain clear written or recorded consent first and spell out that they will sometimes receive marketing messages. When you send manual one to one messages from your phone, keep the tone conversational and non urgent, and close with a line that makes it easy to pause messages at any time.
Build your system so every thread lands inside your CRM. That history protects you if someone questions a message, and it keeps your team from double texting the same person. When someone says stop, remove them from every texting list. Respect builds more long term business than any single campaign.
Mini Case Pattern: Warming Up A Cold Email List With Text
Agent Chris kept six months of email newsletters going but reply numbers flattened. The list had three hundred contacts who opened messages once in a while but rarely clicked. Instead of pushing harder on email, Chris added one weekly thirty minute text block focused only on this cold segment.
Each week Chris pulled fifteen names from the quiet list and sent a personal check in text that referenced a local event plus a standing offer to answer quick market questions. After four weeks, twelve people replied. Two moved into serious conversations, and one led to a new listing that closed inside the next cycle.
The cost of that block was nothing but time. The result was a six figure commission stream from a segment that looked dead on paper. When Chris layered in updated branding and stronger visuals from The Power of High-Quality Marketing Design vs. Static and Dated, the email channel woke up as well, which multiplied the impact of each follow up text.
What Matters Most For SOI Texting
Text message marketing is not about clever lines or giant lists. The win comes from a short weekly routine that reaches real people, one by one, with context that proves you remember them. When that routine stays consistent, you shift from chasing strangers to answering warm inbound messages from your own sphere.
Lock in the weekly block, pick one clear purpose for each script, and measure success by conversations and appointments, not vanity metrics. When you are ready to plug texting into a full system that includes branded email, direct mail, and a strong home base, use Why Every Real Estate Agent Needs an IDX-Integrated Website as your blueprint and lean on Coaching and Consulting from AmericasBestMarketing.com to build the playbook with you.
What Successful Real Estate Agents Are Reading
FAQ
How often should I text my sphere of influence without annoying people
For non active leads, aim for one personal text every one to three months. Rotate who you contact each week so individuals do not feel crowded. Active buyers and sellers can handle more frequent texts, as long as each message has a clear purpose and moves the process forward.
How many contacts should I text during one weekly block
Ten to fifteen contacts per thirty minute block is a strong target. That gives you enough volume to see patterns while still leaving room for fast replies. If you consistently finish early with quality replies, add a few more contacts rather than opening a second block.
What kind of text feels personal instead of like an automated blast
Use the contact name, mention one specific detail from a prior conversation, and ask a simple question that fits their life. Avoid templates that could apply to anyone. If a stranger could receive the same line, tighten the message until it sounds like you wrote it just for that person.
Do I need a special platform to start text message marketing
No. You can start with your own phone and a disciplined list pulled from your CRM or a simple sheet. As reply volume grows, invest in a platform that syncs with your database and handles logging for you. Add features only when they clearly save time or prevent missed follow ups.
How do I stay compliant with text marketing laws
Only text people who shared their number with you directly and who can easily stop messages with a single reply. Gain explicit consent before sending automated sequences. Honor every stop request fast, remove that contact from lists, and keep a clean log of messages inside your CRM.
Can I use group texts to reach more people at once
Group threads look efficient but often feel noisy for your clients. Reserve group texts for situations where all recipients know each other, such as a family that is co buying. For wider outreach, use one to one texts so each person feels seen and can reply freely.
How does text marketing fit with email and direct mail
Think of text as the spark that wakes up your other channels. Use email for deeper education and direct mail for high impact pieces that stay on the counter. Use text to give a quick heads up about a mailing, share a link to a guide, or follow up after someone opens an email.
Complete Multi-Channel Marketing Program
- Custom-branded marketing assets featuring you and your brand
- Branded social media: your services & testimonials (3/week)
- Listing social media: Just Listed • Open House • Pending • Sold
- Email campaigns personalized to you and your area
- Digital retargeting & contextual ad campaigns to your area
- Direct mail campaigns (scope & frequency set by you)
- GEO farm / niche marketing: direct mail & email campaigns
- Database formatting & research (priced per name researched)
- IDX websites (add-on) created and maintained in partnership with iHouseWeb, available at additional cost to help agents strengthen online presence and support lead capture from their website traffic.
- 1:1 Coaching & Accountability sessions (add-on program)
Pricing reflects current platform rates and may change. Third-party ad spend plus printing and postage billed separately. Final terms are outlined in a simple client agreement.
