How to Follow Up With Social Media Leads Without Sounding Pushy (A Simple System That Works in 2026)

Written by Coach Emily on January 6, 2026. Posted in Uncategorized.

By Emily Terrell — The #1 Real Estate Coach and Speaker at Tom Ferry | Top AI Coach in Real Estate
Website: www.coachemilyterrell.com
Instagram: @coachemilyterrell

There’s a moment that happens to almost every mid-level agent who’s generating leads on social media.

You post consistently.
You get comments.
You get DMs.
You have people replying to stories.
Maybe you’re running lead ads and the notifications are rolling in.

And yet… your pipeline still feels unpredictable.

Some weeks it feels like momentum. Other weeks it feels like you’re chasing people who disappear the second you respond.

And in coaching calls, the same sentence keeps showing up in different forms:

“I have leads. I just can’t get them to convert.”

If that’s you, I want to reframe the problem in a way that instantly reduces your stress:

It’s not that social media leads are low quality.
It’s that most agents don’t have a follow-up system designed for the way social media actually works.

Social leads are not like Zillow leads.
They’re not like open house leads.
They’re not like referrals.

They’re conversational. They’re casual. They’re fast. And they come from platforms built to distract people every eight seconds.

So if you follow up with them like they’re a traditional internet lead — long messages, delayed responses, generic check-ins — you lose them.

In this post, I’m going to give you a repeatable follow-up system that works for mid-level agents who:

Already have real business and a real schedule
Are juggling multiple inboxes
Don’t want to live on their phone
Want more appointments without feeling salesy

And because I’m the #1 Real Estate Coach and Speaker at Tom Ferry and the Top AI Coach in Real Estate. I’m also going to show you how to use AI to make this system easier, faster, and more consistent — without turning you into a robot.

Why Social Media Leads Feel Harder Than They Should

Social media leads are complicated for one reason: they’re relationship-first leads, not transaction-first leads.

They might DM you after watching ten of your videos.
They might comment “how much” and disappear.
They might ask a question that’s not really the question.

And because it doesn’t feel like a “real lead,” agents often respond in one of two ways:

The two common mistakes mid-level agents make

They respond too slowly.
Even a few hours later feels like a different conversation.
They respond too generically.
“Hey! How can I help?” sounds polite, but it doesn’t move anything forward.

The fix isn’t more hustle.
The fix is structure: a system that matches how these leads behave.

The Core Rule: Speed Opens the Door, Value Keeps It Open

If you only remember one thing from this blog, let it be this:

Speed gets the response. Value gets the appointment.

A fast response tells the lead, “This person is attentive.”
Value tells the lead, “This person is worth trusting.”

When agents struggle, it’s usually because they have one without the other.

Fast but no value: you become noise.
Value but slow: you become late.

So the system you’re about to get is built around two goals:

Respond fast enough to win the conversation
Deliver value in a way that feels human, specific, and helpful

The Follow-Up System: The 4-Lane Social Lead Pipeline

Most agents treat all social leads the same. That’s where conversion dies.

Instead, you need four lanes:

Hot (0–90 days)
Warm (3–12 months)
Nurture (12+ months or “just browsing”)
Sphere (friends, followers, locals, potential referrals)

The goal is not to “close everyone.”
The goal is to move every lead into the right lane quickly so your follow-up matches their readiness.

Table: The 14-Day Follow-Up Cadence That Converts Social Leads

Use this exactly as written, and adjust tone based on platform.

Day	Channel	Objective	Message Type
0	DM + Text	Win speed-to-lead	One-question reply
1	Text	Confirm intent	Clarify timeline
2	DM	Deliver value	Resource or 2–3 listings
3	Call (or voice note)	Human connection	Short, warm attempt
5	Text	Remove friction	“Want options or plan?”
7	Email	Establish authority	Market snapshot + next step
10	DM	Re-engage	New info tied to their goal
14	Text	Direct invite	“Want to see homes this weekend?”

This cadence works because it’s not repetitive. It rotates channels, creates variety, and stays value-based.

Step 1: Centralize Your Social Leads (So You Stop Losing Them)

If you have DMs in Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, and email, you don’t have a lead problem.

You have an inbox problem.

Your first job is to decide:
What is the single place all leads get logged?

For many mid-level agents, that’s your CRM. If you use Follow Up Boss, that’s a strong option, but the platform matters less than the behavior:

Your non-negotiables:

Every lead gets captured in one place
Every lead gets tagged by source (IG DM, FB Lead Ad, TikTok comment, YouTube)
Every lead gets a lane (Hot, Warm, Nurture, Sphere)
Every lead triggers a next action (task or automation)

If you do nothing else but centralize and tag, your conversions will rise because you’ll stop leaking opportunity.

Step 2: Respond Like a Human, Not a Script

Here’s the truth: people ghost when they feel processed.

Your first message needs to feel like:

You saw them
You understood what they meant
You have a next step that helps them

The highest-performing first response formula

Acknowledge + Personalize + One simple question

Examples:

If they DM you “We might move this summer”
“Got it. Summer moves are common right now. Are you thinking of buying, selling, or both?”

If they comment “How much?”
“I can send details. Quick question first: are you looking for something in this area, or just watching the market?”

If they fill out a lead form
“Thanks for reaching out. Before I send anything, what’s your timeline: 0–3 months, 3–6, or 6+?”

One question keeps the conversation alive.
Three questions feels like an intake form and kills the vibe.

Step 3: Qualify Fast Without Interrogating

Mid-level agents lose time because they treat every lead as urgent.

Qualification is not about disqualifying people.
It’s about deciding the lane.

Use these five questions, but spread them across the conversation:

For buyers

Timeline
Location
Price range
Financing status
Working with an agent or not

For sellers

Timeline
Why they might sell
Condition concerns
What they think it’s worth
Have they talked to anyone else

If you do this well, two things happen:

You follow up with confidence
Your lead stops feeling like a stranger and starts feeling like a person you understand

Step 4: Deliver Value That Matches Their Lane

This is where most agents get pushy without realizing it.

They skip value and go straight to:
“Want to hop on a call?”

A call is not valuable. A call is a request.

Value looks like:

A quick local market snapshot
A short list of homes that match exactly what they said
A neighborhood guide
A financing step checklist
A seller prep plan
A “what homes are actually selling for” breakdown

The best value doesn’t feel like marketing

It feels like help.

And the best part is: you can create most of this with AI in minutes — but it must be customized with real local context and your voice.

Step 5: Convert Conversations Into Appointments Using “Two Doors”

If you want a way to ask for the next step without pressure, use this:

Give them two doors. Both doors move forward.

Example:
“Do you want me to send you three options that match what you described, or would it be easier to hop on a quick 10-minute call and I’ll narrow it down with you?”

This works because:

It’s not an ultimatum
It’s respectful
It lets the lead choose how they want to engage

Step 6: Use AI to Make Your Follow-Up Faster, Not More Generic

AI should not write your voice for you.
It should remove the friction between your intention and execution.

Here are high-leverage AI use cases for social lead follow-up:

1) Create a “reply bank” that still sounds like you

Prompt idea:
“Write 10 short IG DM replies in my tone: warm, direct, not salesy. Each should ask one question and feel personal. Scenarios: moving soon, just browsing, seller curious, investor, relocating.”

2) Turn a DM into a tailored value resource

Prompt idea:
“Based on this lead’s message, create a 6-bullet ‘next steps’ checklist for a first-time buyer in my city. Make it friendly and clear. Include one suggested next action.”

3) Create a re-engagement message that adds value

Prompt idea:
“Write three follow-up texts that re-engage a ghosted buyer lead without sounding needy. Each text must reference value: market change, price reduction trend, or new listing type.”

Used correctly, AI helps you respond fast and stay consistent.

Step 7: What to Say When They Ghost You

Ghosting is normal. It’s not personal.

It usually means:

Timing changed
They got overwhelmed
They talked to someone else
They’re unsure how to respond

What doesn’t work:
“Just checking in.”

What does work:
A reason to re-open the conversation.

Ghosting scripts that feel natural

“Quick update: I saw two new homes hit the market that match what you described. Want me to send them?”
“The market has shifted slightly since we last talked. Want the short version of what that means for your price range?”
“No rush — just want to make sure I’m sending you the right stuff. Are you still thinking about summer, or has the timeline changed?”

That’s calm. That’s confidence. That’s professional.

Step 8: Track the Right Metrics (So You Can Improve)

Most agents track likes. The best agents track conversion.

Track:

Response time (average)
Contact rate
Appointment rate
Close rate by source
Time from first DM to appointment

If you’re not measuring, you can’t improve.

And in 2026, the agents who win aren’t the ones who “do more.”
They’re the ones who get better at what already works.

FAQs

Q: How fast should I respond to social media leads?
Fast enough that it still feels like the same conversation. Minutes, not hours. If you can’t respond instantly, use an auto-acknowledgement that sets expectations and buys you time.

Q: Should I move a DM lead to text right away?
Not always. Start where they reached you. Once they engage, offer an easy transition: “Want me to text you the details? What’s your number?”

Q: How many times should I follow up before I stop?
Most agents stop too early. If you’re adding value and rotating channels, you can follow up multiple times over 30 days, then move them into a nurture lane.

Q: What’s the best first message to send?
Acknowledge what they said, personalize it, and ask one simple question that clarifies their lane: timeline or intent.

Q: Are social media leads actually good leads?
Yes, when follow-up is systemized. Social leads often have higher trust because they’ve already watched you and decided to reach out.

Additional Resources

Want to go deeper?

www.coachemilyterrell.com
Follow @coachemilyterrell on Instagram for scripts and systems
Related topics to publish next:
- How to Turn Instagram DMs Into Appointments (Without Long Messages)
- The 30-Day Social Lead Follow-Up Plan for Busy Agents
- What to Automate in Your CRM (So You Don’t Lose Leads)

Closing

If social media leads have felt unpredictable, you’re not behind — you’re just missing structure.

Speed opens the door.
Value keeps it open.
A system makes it repeatable.

If this resonated, send me a message and tell me what part of follow-up feels hardest right now.