The 30-Day Follow-Up Sequence
The exact cadence we use to book seller appointments off leads every other setup abandoned
ps - if you want this system built and run for you, book a call: [calendly.com/gneva/discovery]
Most agents blame the leads.
The ads ran. The forms came in. Nothing closed. So the conclusion is that online leads do not work.
That conclusion is wrong. The leads were never actually worked.
The industry standard is two attempts, maybe three if someone is diligent. Then silence. But a homeowner who fills out a form in January and is not ready to list until June is not a bad lead. They are an early one. And if nobody is calling them in month two, month three, and month four, they will list with whoever is.
The agent we are talking about in the post above had written that contact off at the three-week mark. We booked the appointment on touch seven. That is not an outlier. It is what happens when the system keeps going after everyone else stops.
Here is the full sequence, by channel, timing, and intent.
PART 1: The First 72 Hours
The first three days determine whether a lead ever becomes a conversation. Speed and channel selection matter more here than anything you write.
Touch 1: Call within minutes of the form submission
When to use it: The moment a form fill lands. Not within the hour. Within minutes.
"Hi, this is [Name] calling about the home valuation you requested at [address or area]. Wanted to catch you quickly. Do you have two minutes?"
Speed to contact is the single biggest variable in whether a form fill becomes a conversation. A lead called within five minutes is dramatically more likely to answer than one called an hour later. This is not about the script. It is about being first.
The structural problem is that most agents cannot do this. They are at a showing, mid-negotiation, or driving between appointments. That is not a discipline failure. It is a design flaw in the setup. The only fix is a dedicated person whose entire job is the first call.
Touch 2: Same-day SMS if no answer
When to use it: Send within 30 minutes of a missed call on touch one.
"Hey [First Name], tried calling just now about the home valuation you submitted for [area]. Happy to connect whenever works. Is [neighbourhood] the property you were thinking about?"
A question at the end of an SMS gets replies. A statement does not. Keep it short. Keep it human. Reference what they actually filled out so it does not read like a blast.
Touch 3: Day two call at a different time of day
When to use it: If no response after touches one and two, call again on day two. Change the time slot. If you called at 10am yesterday, call at 4pm today.
"Hi [First Name], [Name] again. Left a message yesterday about your home valuation. Wanted to try catching you at a different time. I'll try once more and if I miss you, I'll shoot over a quick email."
Most people are not ignoring you. They are just busy at the exact time you called. Two calls at the same time of day is not persistence. It is repetition. Vary the window.
The first 72 hours set the floor. If you do not reach them here, the sequence is not over. It is just beginning.
PART 2: The Middle of the Month (Days 4 to 14)
This is where almost every setup stops. The lead has not answered. It gets marked dead or dumped in a nurture bucket nobody monitors. The appointments that get booked in this window are invisible to agents who stop at touch two.
Touch 4: Day four email
When to use it: First email of the sequence. Send on day four if no phone contact yet.
Subject: Quick note on your home valuation
Hi [First Name],
Tried reaching you a couple of times this week. No rush at all on timing.
Wanted to send over a quick note: home values in [area] have shifted noticeably over the past few months, and the number a lot of homeowners have in their head is often off by more than they'd expect, in either direction.
If you're still curious about what your place would realistically list for right now, I'm happy to put something together. No obligation, just a real number.
[Name]
Why this works: it does not chase. It delivers something useful. It gives the homeowner a reason to reply that does not require them to commit to anything. An email that leads with value gets opened. An email that leads with a check-in gets deleted.
Touch 5: Day seven SMS with a specific, easy-to-answer question
When to use it: One week in. If still no response, send a short SMS designed to get a one-line reply.
"Hey [First Name], quick question: are you thinking about listing this year or more just keeping an eye on things for now?"
❌ "Just wanted to check in and see if you had any questions."
✅ "Are you thinking about listing this year or more just keeping an eye on things for now?"
The difference is a question they can answer in five seconds versus one that requires them to figure out what you want. The goal of this touch is not to book an appointment. It is to get any reply at all, because a reply reopens the conversation.
Touch 6: Day ten call with a voicemail
When to use it: Fourth call. Leave a voicemail this time if they do not answer.
"Hi [First Name], [Name] here. I know I've called a few times and I don't want to be a pest. I'll keep this quick: if you're still thinking about what your home might be worth, I've got a number I can share. If the timing's just not right, totally fine to let me know that too. Either way I'm easy to reach at [number]."
Giving someone permission to say "not now" is what makes them reply. Most people go dark because they do not know how to say they are not ready. Make it easy for them to say it and you will hear back from people who would otherwise disappear.
The middle of the month is where the listings are hiding. Most systems are already silent by day four.
PART 3: The Back Half and Long-Term Nurture (Days 14 to 30 and Beyond)
The back half of the first month is where compounding starts. The leads who were not ready in week one are now two to three weeks closer to making a decision. A homeowner six months from listing in January is a homeowner one month from listing in June.
Touch 7: Day fourteen email with something worth reading
When to use it: Second email. Two weeks in. Do not send another check-in. Send something useful.
Subject: What's actually moving in [area] right now
Hi [First Name],
Quick update from what I'm seeing in [area]:
- Homes priced correctly are moving in [X] days on average
- Sellers who listed in [month] are getting [observation, not a promise]
- The buyers active right now are [brief, specific observation]
Not sending this to pitch you. Just figured if you're thinking about timing, real data is more useful than a generic market update.
Still happy to put together a number for your place if that's useful.
[Name]
Why this works: it treats the homeowner like someone capable of making an informed decision. It demonstrates knowledge without demanding a response. Useful content keeps you in the conversation without requiring the lead to commit to anything.
Touch 8: Day twenty-one call
When to use it: Three weeks in. Fifth call. Short and direct.
"Hi [First Name], [Name] here. Last time I'll try for a bit. If the timing's off, no problem at all. If you're still thinking about the valuation or what listing would look like this year, I'm easy to reach. Take care."
Three weeks is where most agents have completely stopped. This call alone will produce replies that nothing else in the sequence will, because the homeowner has now heard from someone consistently enough to believe they are real.
Touch 9: Day thirty SMS
When to use it: Final touch of the first-month cadence. Make it easy to say "not yet."
"Hey [First Name], wrapping up my follow-ups for this month. If the timing's just not right yet, totally fine to say so. And if things change later in the year, I'm easy to find. Hope things are going well."
Why this works: it closes the loop without burning the contact. A lead who replies "not yet" is a lead you can nurture for six months. A lead who goes dark because you never gave them an easy out is a lead you lost.
Here is the full sequence mapped by channel:
Day 1: Call (within minutes of form fill)
Day 1: SMS (within 30 minutes of missed call)
Day 2: Call (different time of day)
Day 4: Email (useful, not a check-in)
Day 7: SMS (one specific, easy-to-answer question)
Day 10: Call + voicemail (give them permission to say not yet)
Day 14: Email (real market information, not a pitch)
Day 21: Call (short, direct, no pressure)
Day 30: SMS (easy to say not yet, door stays open)
Day 30+: Long-term nurture (monthly, value-based, no pressure)Want This Built and Run for You?
We do this for agents across Canada. Not the template. The actual calling, every touch, every lead.
Book a call: [calendly.com/gneva/discovery]
The Audit: Is Your Current Follow-Up Actually Working?
Run through this before you decide whether to build this yourself.
Do you call new leads within five minutes of a form submission?
Do you have a dedicated person whose only job is the first call?
Do you send an SMS the same day if the call goes unanswered?
Do you vary the time of day on callback attempts?
Do you have a day four email that delivers something useful rather than asking for a reply?
Do you ask a specific, easy-to-answer question on the day seven SMS?
Do you leave a voicemail that gives the lead permission to say "not now"?
Do you send a second email at two weeks with real market information?
Do you call at three weeks, when most setups have been silent for two?
Do you have a day thirty touch that keeps the door open without pressure?
Do you have a long-term nurture sequence for leads who are six or more months out?
If you checked fewer than six of these, the issue is not your ads. It is everything that happens after the form is submitted.
You Have Two Choices
Choice 1: Take this sequence and implement it yourself.
Build the SMS templates, write the emails, set the calendar reminders, and find someone who can call within minutes of every form fill while you are at showings. It is possible. It takes real infrastructure and a dedicated person, and it will take a few months to dial in. Start with touch one. Fix the speed before you fix anything else.
Choice 2: Let us run the entire thing.
We build the campaigns, the landing pages, and the full CRM. Then we call every lead ourselves, run this exact cadence, and book the qualified appointments directly into your calendar. You show up and list the home. The sequence you just read is what we run on every account, not a template we hand over.
Work with GNEVA Marketing
The sequence you just read is not a framework we teach. It is what we run, on every account, for every lead, starting the day campaigns go live.
The step most agents cannot fix is touch one. Calling within minutes of a form fill is a structural problem, not a discipline problem, and the only real solution is a dedicated inside sales agent who does nothing else.
That is what we build. Meta campaigns, landing pages, a full GoHighLevel CRM, and an ISA who calls your leads, runs this cadence, and books qualified seller appointments into your calendar.
You show up and list. We handle everything before that.
Book your call here: [calendly.com/gneva/discovery]
ps - one listing typically covers the cost of the program. If you want to run the math on your market, that is exactly what the call is for.
