Early in my real estate career, I kept chasing what I now call the unicorn. That perfect lead source that would solve everything. I figured if I could just find the right platform — Zillow, Google Ads, Realtor.com — I wouldn’t have to worry so much about systems or conversion. I’d just plug in my card and deals would start rolling in.
Just last week, I was invited to join a mastermind call with some top-producing team leaders. Every question I got during the Q&A was about lead sources, not one was about lead conversion. Everyone wanted to know which platform worked best, but no one asked how to get better at converting the leads they already had.
That’s the real problem. We’re all searching for the unicorn when, truthfully, even the best-performing lead sources in real estate are converting at about 4 percent (these are rare and very expensive). You’re still losing 96 percent of your leads, no matter how good your lead source is.
If you want to actually get more people to the closing table, the answer isn’t more leads. It’s a better system for converting the ones you already paid for.
Here are the three most common problems I see in real estate conversion systems and what to do instead.
1. Undefined target audience
When I consult with teams or brokerages, one of the first things I ask is, “Who is your target audience?” Most of the time, I get vague answers like, “We’re just looking for sellers in this market.”
That’s not a target. That’s a ZIP code.
If your goal is to improve conversion, not just lead volume, you need to get crystal clear on who you’re actually trying to attract. A family relocating across the state needs a different message than a burned-out landlord looking to offload a property. And a downsizing couple in their 60s doesn’t respond to the same ad or nurture sequence as a newlywed first-time buyer.
Knowing your audience lets you tailor your entire funnel, from the ad to the follow-up to the conversation, around what they care about. And that’s what moves people forward.
Getting more names in your CRM is not the goal. Closing more deals is. You don’t get paid for generating leads. You get paid when someone signs the closing docs. And you only get there if your message, nurture and offer actually speak to the real pain points of the people you’re targeting.
2. Deals die between the steps
This is where most teams lose the sale, not on the lead gen side, but in the transitions between steps.
Someone opts in. They want to browse homes. Now what? If there’s a clunky handoff to the lender, or the buyer gets overwhelmed without guidance, they ghost. If they stall between pre-approval and showings, they fade out. If they’re not clear about what happens after the offer goes in, they get cold feet.
Most agents focus on objection handling, but by the time they’re ready to handle the objection, the client has already dropped off.
Conversion isn’t just about what happens on the phone. It’s about the invisible systems that move people smoothly through the funnel, from click to conversation to close.
That means tightening the gaps, especially between stages like registration to pre-approval, or showing to offer. If you can retain even 10 percent more people at each stage, your closings will increase without adding a single extra lead.
A big one I see: lender handoffs. If you’re losing people at that point, it’s probably because the process feels cold or unclear. When your systems are smooth and personalized, clients stay engaged and more of them show up at the closing table.
3. Scripts are killing the conversation
Let’s be real. Most real estate scripts are outdated.
They’re transactional, not consultative. They’re focused on getting the agent what they want, a showing, a signed agreement, not on helping the client solve their actual problem. And today’s consumer is too savvy for that.
They’ve seen these scripts on TikTok and Instagram. They already know what’s coming next.
Here’s what I’m seeing: teams that train heavily on scripts are producing agents who sound great, until the conversation goes off-script. The second a client says something unexpected, the agent freezes. Because they weren’t actually listening. They were waiting for their turn to talk.
And that’s where the lead dies.
Instead of teaching scripts, I recommend teaching principles. Teach your team why certain tactics work. Teach them how to adapt a framework to the person in front of them. Scripts should be flexible tools, not robotic word-for-word monologues.
The best agents don’t sound like closers. They sound like consultants. They listen. They adapt. They connect.
You don’t convert by pushing people through a predetermined path. You convert by solving their problem better than anyone else.
Fix the system. Stop chasing unicorns
I understand the temptation to hunt for the next magical lead source. But more often than not, what’s broken isn’t your traffic, it’s your system.
Get clear on who you’re speaking to. Tighten the handoffs in your funnel. Train your people to listen instead of pitch.
That’s how you get more clients to the closing table.
