Real Estate Text Message Marketing: 15 Scripts, Sequences and the Rules

Why texting is the real estate channel that gets answered

An internet lead who filled out a form on a listing is also talking to two or three other agents. The one who answers first, by the channel the lead actually reads, gets the conversation. A call from an unknown number goes to voicemail; an email waits until evening; a text is read within minutes. The same is true at the other end of the relationship: a past client who would not open a newsletter will reply to “Hi Jen, it’s Alex. Saw a house on your old street just listed and thought of you. How’s the new place?”

Texting is not a substitute for the phone call. The pattern that works is text first, call right after, and let the lead pick. Texting then carries the logistics: showing confirmations, open house follow-up, offer updates, closing reminders, and the monthly touch that keeps you in front of your database.

Consent, 10DLC, opt-out and quiet hours

• Consent. Text people who gave you their number and expected to hear from you: a lead form with a texting disclosure, an open house sign-in, a client, a referral who was told you would reach out. Record how and when consent was given on the contact. Texting a purchased list of homeowners or expired listings without consent is the pattern behind TCPA lawsuits in real estate.
• 10DLC registration. Business texting from a regular 10-digit number through any platform must be registered with the carriers (your brokerage or you as the brand, plus a campaign describing the use). Unregistered traffic is filtered. The platform handles the filing; you supply business details and sample messages. See What is 10DLC?
• Opt-out. The first text in a conversation carries “Reply STOP to opt out”, and STOP must work automatically. That is a platform feature, not something to remember.
• Quiet hours. No marketing texts before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. where the recipient lives; some states are stricter. Replying to a lead’s own text is fine at any hour.
• Content. Carriers filter texts that look like spam: shortened links, all caps, “free”, “guaranteed”, too many identical messages in a row. The SMS compliance guide has the full picture. This article is not legal advice; your brokerage’s policy and your state’s rules come first.

15 real estate text message scripts

Replace the brackets and keep the length. Each fits in one 160-character segment, so it sends as one message and reads as a person, not a campaign.

New buyer leads

1. First reply (within 60 seconds): “Hi [first name], this is [agent] with [brokerage]. Thanks for asking about [address]. It’s still available. Want to see it this week? Reply STOP to opt out.”
2. After a voicemail: “[First name], just left you a voicemail about [address]. Easier by text? Happy to answer anything here. [Agent]”
3. Qualifying question: “[First name], are you looking to move in the next few months, or just keeping an eye on the market? Either is fine; it helps me send the right homes. [Agent]”
4. Listing already gone: “[First name], [address] went under contract, but two similar homes just listed nearby. Want me to send them? [Agent], [brokerage]”

Showings and open houses

5. Showing confirmation: “You’re confirmed for [address] on [day] at [time]. I’ll meet you out front. Text me if anything changes. [Agent]”
6. Showing follow-up (same evening): “[First name], what did you think of [address]? Honest take welcome; it helps me narrow the next ones. [Agent]”
7. Open house follow-up (next morning): “[First name], thanks for stopping by [address] yesterday. Any questions I can answer? If it’s not the one, tell me what you’d change and I’ll keep looking. [Agent], [brokerage]”

Seller leads and listings

8. Home value request: “Hi [first name], [agent] with [brokerage]. Got your request for a value on [address]. Can I ask two quick questions before I send a number? Reply STOP to opt out.”
9. Listing appointment confirmation: “See you [day] at [time] at [address]. I’ll bring recent sales for the street and a plan for pricing. [Agent]”
10. Listing update: “[First name], [address] had 6 showings this week and one second visit. I’ll call tonight with feedback. [Agent]”
11. Offer received: “[First name], we have an offer on [address]. Calling you in 10 minutes to walk through it; is now good? [Agent]”

Transactions and closing

12. Milestone update: “[First name], inspection is done and the report should land tomorrow. I’ll send a summary with next steps once I’ve read it. [Agent]”
13. Closing reminder: “Closing is [day] at [time] at [title company address]. Bring your ID and the wire confirmation. Almost there! [Agent]”

Past clients and sphere

14. Home anniversary: “[First name], one year in [street] this week! How’s the house treating you? If you ever want a current value, just say the word. [Agent]”
15. Neighborhood news: “[First name], a home on [street] just sold for [price]. Thought you’d want to know what that means for yours. Want the details? [Agent]”

Sequences: new lead, open house, listing, past client

New internet lead (7 days)

• Minute 1: script 1, sent automatically from the CRM, plus a call task.
• Minute 2–5: the call. Voicemail, then script 2.
• Day 1 evening: email with three similar homes and a link to book a showing.
• Day 2: call, then script 3 if no reply.
• Day 4: script 4 or a new listing that fits.
• Day 7: “Still looking, or should I pause the updates?” Then a monthly touch with real listings.

Open house (3 touches)

Script 7 the next morning, a call that afternoon, and an email two days later with similar homes. Sign-in sheets that capture a mobile number with a texting line are the consent record.

Active listing (weekly)

Script 10 every week the home is on the market, plus script 11 the moment an offer arrives. Sellers who hear from you weekly do not call to ask what is happening.

Past clients and sphere (monthly)

One text a month, each with a reason: an anniversary, a neighbourhood sale, a market number, a holiday. No “just checking in”. Scripts 14 and 15 are the pattern; rotate them so no contact gets the same text twice in a year.

Log every text on the contact. The CRM should show the whole thread next to the calls and emails so a teammate can pick it up.

Realtor SMS software: standalone texting tool or CRM?

Standalone texting tools (EZ Texting, SimpleTexting, Textedly and similar) are built for broadcasts: one message to a list. That is the wrong shape for real estate, where the value is in the one-to-one thread and the follow-up that depends on what the lead said. Agents who use a broadcast tool next to their CRM end up with conversations in one place, the contact record in another, and consent tracked in neither.

Texting from the CRM gives you the thread on the contact record, templates with merge fields (name, address, brokerage), the automated first text on every new lead, STOP handled automatically, team visibility, and the same number for calls and texts. Conduyt’s CRM text messaging and built-in dialer are on every plan at a flat price with unlimited users; the real estate CRM page shows the setup with listings, buyers and transactions as separate pipelines, and the real estate CRM guide compares the options.

What to measure

• Time to first text on new leads, including evenings and weekends. Target: under a minute.
• Reply rate on the first text. If it is low, the wording, the timing or the number’s registration is the problem.
• Appointment rate for leads that replied by text versus phone.
• Opt-out rate on the monthly database touch. Rising means too often or too promotional.
• Delivery rate. A drop usually means filtered content or an unregistered number; check the text message checker and the 10DLC status.

Frequently asked questions

Can real estate agents text leads?

Yes, with consent: leads who gave a mobile number on a form with a texting disclosure, open house sign-ins, clients, and referrals who were told you would reach out. Texting purchased lists of homeowners or expired listings without consent is the risk. Keep the consent record on the contact and honor STOP automatically.

What should a realtor’s first text to a new lead say?

Who you are, which property, one question, the opt-out line: “Hi Jen, this is Alex with Harbor Realty. Thanks for asking about 14 Elm St. It’s still available. Want to see it this week? Reply STOP to opt out.” Send it within a minute and follow with a call.

Is real estate text message marketing legal?

Yes when the recipient consented, the number is registered (10DLC), each conversation carries an opt-out, and marketing texts stay inside quiet hours. State rules can be stricter than the federal ones, and this article is not legal advice; follow your brokerage’s policy.

How often should an agent text past clients?

About once a month, each time with a reason: a home anniversary, a sale on their street, a market number. Fewer, better texts keep the opt-out rate low and the replies high.

What is the best SMS software for realtors?

For one-to-one follow-up, a CRM with texting built in: the thread lives on the contact, the first text goes out automatically, consent and opt-outs are tracked, and the team can see it. Broadcast tools suit a one-off announcement to a consented list, not the daily follow-up that closes deals.

Why are my real estate texts not delivering?

Usually an unregistered number, a shortened link, filtered words (“free”, “guaranteed”, all caps) or many identical texts sent in a row. Run the script through a text message checker and confirm the 10DLC registration with your platform.