Turn Your Database Into a Source of Steady “Come List Me” Calls

By Greg Harrelson

Greg Harrelson is the founder and leader of the largest Century 21 offices on the East Coast. With offices located throughout South and North Carolina, Greg coaches the top real estate talent in the Carolinas and also founded Real Estate Sales Solutions which has coaching programs like the Agent Success Academy.

Why do some agents have sellers calling them to list their homes without making a single cold call? That’s what I call a “Come List Me” call. It’s one of the most effective ways to build a consistent listing inventory without the constant grind of chasing leads.

Lots of agents are worn out from the same routine of calling expireds, FSBOs, or competing with several others for the same listing. Most sellers usually just want to know who will promise the highest price or take the lowest commission. It’s an exhausting cycle, but don’t worry, because there’s a smarter way to get listings, and it starts with building a business that attracts sellers to call you first.

Build a powerful database. The real secret to creating consistent “Come List Me” calls is having a strong database. If your goal is to get three or four listings a month, you need to treat that database like your most valuable asset. It’s not about buying leads; it’s about building real relationships and staying top of mind with the people already in your world and the communities you want to serve. Here are the steps to build and nurture a database to get you started.

1. Add your sphere of influence. Start with the people who already know you. That includes your family, friends, past clients, and anyone who could be considered a center of influence. Don’t overlook acquaintances. These could be the parents you see on the sidelines at your kids’ soccer games or the neighbors you chat with occasionally. Get all of them organized in your database. Once you do, you can begin consistently reaching out and dripping on them with value.

2. Build community databases. After your sphere is in place, identify the specific neighborhoods or zip codes where you want to attract more business. These are the communities you want to focus on and eventually dominate. Gather the data for those areas using tools like exactdial.com, which makes it easy to build community databases once you know your target markets. Add those contacts to your system so your database includes not only people you already know but also the homeowners you’d like to work with in the future.

3. Implement a 60+ touch nurture plan. Once your database is built, focus on staying consistently in touch. Aim for at least 60 touches a year. It may sound like a lot, but with a mix of emails, videos, texts, and social posts, it becomes easy to manage. Use tools like Fello, Homebot, or your company’s IDX site to automate market updates and home value insights. Set it up to run automatically so you stay top of mind without the daily effort.

On top of that, share quarterly or annual reports about what’s happening in your market. People love knowing how their area is performing, and it positions you as the expert. The more value you send, the more likely they’ll think of you first when it’s time to sell.

The payoff: consistent, inbound listings. This approach really works. I generate about five to six listings every month from “Come List Me” calls alone. It runs smoothly because it’s powered by solid systems and automation. I’ve also helped other agents in my office set up the same 60-touch nurture plan with ready-to-use examples and automated follow-ups that keep their brand in front of their entire database.

If you want sellers calling you instead of the other way around, this is how you do it. Build your database with your sphere and key communities, set up a consistent nurture plan, and let automation do the heavy lifting.

It’s far less of a grind than cold calling, and once it’s in motion, it just keeps producing. If you ever need help setting it up, reach out to me or go visit realestatesalessolutions.com. I’m happy to help.