Why Your Leads Aren’t Converting and How To Fix It

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.

Are you tired of endless prospecting, making calls, or generating leads that rarely turn into closings? The truth is, we need to stop chasing every lead and start focusing on moving the ones we have forward.

Let me walk you through the steps I use to advance appointments into contracts in Myrtle Beach and consistently get results.

1. Set your next activity immediately. It doesn’t matter if it’s a buyer lead or a seller lead. Once you get off the phone, always put something in your calendar right away. Poor timing is one of the main reasons leads don’t convert, so having a clear next step in place helps me stay organized and consistent. Sometimes I don’t even tell the lead what the next activity is; I just make sure I don’t move on to the next lead until I’ve logged something in my calendar.

2. Always ask for the business. I’ve seen statistics that show most agents ask for business less than once per presentation. A lot of times, we’re waiting for the lead to tell us they’re ready, while the lead is waiting for us to guide them, but that’s not how sales work.

Asking for business doesn’t mean being pushy or “salesy.” Even subtle questions work, like asking, “What price should we list the property for?” or “Would you like me to handle the sale?” or “What offer would you like to make?” Making sure I ask in every conversation is a simple but powerful way to keep things moving forward.

3. Communicate clear next steps. Even if a lead says they’re months away from selling, I’ll outline what we’ll do next. For example, I might say, “I’m going to do a little research, send it over to you, give you a few days to review, and then I’ll follow up to see if you have any questions.” Once I hang up, I immediately log that follow-up activity in my schedule. Doing this ensures I show up at the right time and stay on the lead’s radar, which makes converting them much more likely.

4. Use urgency gently. Encouraging clients to act doesn’t mean being pushy. I use market-based urgency gently to highlight opportunities, like low inventory or favorable competition. Sometimes I might point out that prices are moving up, down, or that foreclosures are increasing. The goal isn’t to manipulate; it’s to remind clients why moving forward now can be a good idea. A gentle nudge like this helps them make decisions without feeling pressured.

5. Recap and reinforce core practices. Every call or meeting I have includes a few core actions: setting the next appointment, asking for the business, clarifying next steps, and including calls to action. For example, I might say, “Take a look at this information, write down any questions, and I’ll call you on Monday to review everything.” Doing these steps consistently keeps leads moving forward and increases the likelihood of closing deals.

It’s time to stop chasing every lead and begging for business. Following these practices has helped me close more deals, and it can do the same for you. If you find these steps useful or if you have any questions, just visit realestatesalessolutions.com. I’d love to help you grow your business and take it to the next level.