An exclusive lead removes the race against other brokers. It does not remove the race against the homeowner's memory. They asked about their renewal on a Tuesday night. By Friday, their bank's renewal letter is on the kitchen counter and signing it is the easy option. The first week decides whether you get a real conversation before that happens.
Call within five minutes, then keep calling.
Speed matters more than any script. The homeowner is most likely to pick up while they still remember filling out the form. If you cannot call right away, a text in your name that says who you are and when you will call keeps the door open.
- Day 1: call within five minutes. If there is no answer, send a short text right away.
- Day 2: call again at a different time of day. Evenings work well for homeowners with day jobs.
- Day 3: send a short email with one useful number, like how much their payment could change at renewal.
- Day 5: third call. Leave a voicemail that mentions their renewal date, not a sales pitch.
- Day 7: a final text that leaves the door open for when they are ready.
“Three attempts in the first week is the minimum. Most of the conversations that turn into files happen on the second or third try.”
Open with their renewal, not your rate.
The lead already tells you their renewal window, province, credit range, home value, and balance. Use it. Confirm the basics, then ask what they want from this renewal: a lower payment, a shorter amortization, money for a renovation, or to stop dealing with their bank. That answer tells you which lenders to look at and how to frame the call.
Questions that move the first call forward
- When exactly does your current term end?
- Has your lender sent a renewal offer yet? What did it say?
- Is anything changing for you in the next few years: a move, a renovation, a new job?
- If you could change one thing about your mortgage, what would it be?
Book the next step before you hang up.
A good first call ends with a date: a time to review options, a list of documents, or a check-in once their renewal letter arrives. Put it in your CRM the moment you hang up. If they are months away from renewal, set the reminder now and send something useful in the meantime, so you are the first call they make when it is time.
Track what happens to every lead.
Log every attempt and every outcome. After a few batches you will know your own contact rate, how many calls it takes to reach a homeowner, and where conversations stall. That is the information that turns a package of leads into a predictable number of closings.
