Boldwright

720-339-2849

Book a free call

Text us

For real estate agents

How to text every new lead within five minutes

A short first text sent while they're still on the listing, then a call and a follow-up tomorrow, so no lead goes cold waiting.

From Thor at Boldwright

Time
10 minutes for Good, about an hour for Best
Cost
Free on your phone, or part of Quo or BoldTrail
Works with
iPhone, Quo, BoldTrail
Skill
Texting, then a few settings

A new lead from your website or a portal is usually looking at a home right now. A two-line text while they're still on the page lands very differently from a call the next afternoon, and it's hard to manage when you're at a showing or a closing.

It's common to miss one. In a WAV Group audit of 384 broker listings across 11 states, 48% of buyer inquiries never got a reply. That audit dates from 2013, so read it as a rough picture, and as a sign that a quick, friendly text stands out.

There are three levels here. Each one is a fine place to be, and the checklist you start in Good carries through.

  1. GoodA saved text and a three-step checklistText the lead within five minutes from your phone, call them, and follow up tomorrow.Your part: a few minutes per lead.Start here
  2. GreatQuo answers when you can'tYour first text saved as a Quo snippet, plus an auto-reply when a lead calls or texts while you're busy.Your part: about 20 minutes once.Set it up in Quo
  3. BestBoldTrail texts and reminds youA Smart Campaign texts every new lead right away, sets you a call task, and texts again tomorrow.Your part: about an hour once, then the calls.Step-by-step setup

Rather we set it up for you?

This is part of the Boldwright starter package. We write your first text and follow-up in your words and set them to go out on their own, in a week or less.

Have Boldwright set it up

$297 setup, then $70 a month once you've seen it work. No contract. Cancel by text.

Step 1

Write your texts

Fill in your details once and the texts update. Nothing here leaves your browser. Keep the first one short enough to read on a lock screen.

First text, within five minutes

Who you are, what they asked about, and one easy question.

Follow-up tomorrow

Two easy choices make a reply simple.

Good

Text the lead within five minutes, then work your checklist

This works on any phone today. A saved shortcut turns the first text into a few taps between showings.

  • Save your first text as a shortcut. In the Settings app, tap General, then Keyboard, then Text Replacement. Tap the Add button. Enter your phrase and shortcut: paste your first text and use a shortcut like ;new. Tap Save.
  • Text the lead within five minutes of the inquiry. Open a text, type ;new, swap in their name and the home, and send.
  • Keep a short checklist: text, call, follow up tomorrow. Write those three words on a note pinned to your phone's home screen, with the lead's name beside each.
  • Call after the text. If they don't pick up, that's fine. The text already told them who you are.
  • Follow up tomorrow with the second text, then tick the lead off.

Great

Let Quo answer when you can't

If you use a Quo number for leads, save your first text and set an auto-reply for calls and texts you can't take right away. Each set of steps comes from Quo's own help pages.

Jump to your app

Quo snippetsQuo auto-replies
Quo snippetsBuilt in

Any Quo plan. Works on web, desktop, Android and iOS.

  1. Open any message thread in your inbox.
  2. Type /snippets in the message box and press Enter.
  3. Click + Create snippet.
  4. Name it, like New lead, and paste your first text.
  5. Click Save. To use it, type / in a message box, select /snippets, and pick New lead.

Checked against Quo snippets help docs, November 2026.

Quo auto-repliesBuilt in

Quo on web or desktop. Auto-replies can't be set up in the mobile apps.

  1. Click Settings in the left-hand menu.
  2. Select Phone Numbers under Workspace settings, then choose the number your leads text and call.
  3. Click the Automations tab and scroll to Auto-Replies.
  4. Set a reply for missed calls and for incoming text messages, using a short version of your first text. Add after-hours versions too.

Quo sends an auto-reply only once every 3 hours per contact, and skips it if you recently called or texted them.

Checked against Quo auto-replies help docs, November 2026.

Best

Let a BoldTrail Smart Campaign text and remind you

This is the version that asks the least of you. When a new lead lands in BoldTrail, a Smart Campaign texts them right away, puts a call on your task list, and sends the follow-up the next day. You make the calls.

Each step comes from BoldTrail's own help pages.

Jump to your app

BoldTrail
BoldTrailBuilt in

A BoldTrail account with a smart number for texting. Leads from your site or connected sources arrive as New Lead contacts.

  1. Save your texts as SMS templates. Create one SMS template for your first text and one for tomorrow's follow-up. Give each a Template Name and paste the Content. Keep each under 220 characters.
  2. Start a campaign. Click the Marketing tab, then Smart Campaigns. In My Campaigns, click + Add Campaign.
  3. Set the trigger. In Campaign Logic, choose Lead is New, then click Next.
  4. Pick the contact type. In Designed For, choose Buyer, Seller or ALL, then click Next.
  5. Name it. In Set Details, enter a Campaign Name like New lead, five minutes. Click Next, review, and click Finish.
  6. Add the first text. Click + Add Action and choose SMS. Pick your first text template, set From to Agent and To to the contact, and turn on Run Immediately.
  7. Add the call. Click + Add Action and choose Call. Pick a call template, set To to Agent, and turn on Run Immediately.
  8. Add tomorrow's follow-up. Click + Add Action and choose SMS again. Pick your follow-up, set Time Unit to days and Time Value to 1.
  9. Turn it on and get alerts. Check the campaign's status switch is on in My Campaigns. In the BoldTrail app, go to Menu, then Settings, and turn on text and push notifications for new leads.

BoldTrail holds campaign texts until your Office Hours. A lead who signs up at night gets the first text the next morning during Office Hours.

BoldTrail spaces campaign texts 24 hours apart. The follow-up on day 1 fits that rule.

Checked against BoldTrail help docs, November 2026.

Step 2

Check it worked

  • Send yourself a test lead from your own website and time how long the first text takes.
  • Read the text on your phone the way a buyer would.
  • For the next month, note how many leads you reached within five minutes and how many booked a showing.

If something's off

Common snags

I'm at a showing when the lead comes in

That's what the shortcut is for. Ten seconds between rooms is enough. At Great, Quo's auto-reply covers calls you can't take.

The BoldTrail text didn't go out

Check the campaign status switch is on, the lead's status is New Lead, and the time falls in your Office Hours.

Won't a fast text feel pushy?

Not if it's short and asks one easy question. Most people asked for information and are glad to get it quickly.

Want every new lead texted within five minutes?

We're a small, new shop in Denver. We'll write your first text and follow-up in your words and set them to go out on their own, with a reminder to call.

Talk to Boldwright

Starter package: set up in a week or less. $297 setup, then $70 a month once you've seen it work. No contract. Cancel by text.