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Why Your Leads Are Ignoring You (And How to Get Them Talking Again)

How to revive cold leads and get them talking—without sounding generic or desperate.

Author

Robert Biehn
February 20, 2025

In partnership with

8 out of every 10 leads you generate will work with someone else.

Why?

Because 80% of buyers work with the first agent they have a real conversation with.

Source: NAR

How many of your leads have ghosted you?

How many are sitting in your CRM, untouched for months?

How many are receiving “just checking in” messages that never go anywhere?

If you're already converting your cold leads into warm conversations and closing more deals than you can handle, feel free to skip this week’s newsletter.

But if not—if you’re tired of watching leads slip through the cracks—keep reading.

This email will show you exactly how to revive dead leads, start real conversations, and increase your closings by 80% in just 6 simple steps.

read time: 8 minutes

Welcome to The Agent Alliance Newsletter!

This is your weekly real estate playbook—a no-nonsense, data-driven guide that deep-dives into one powerful strategy each week, taught by industry leaders who practice, not just preach. It’s designed to boost your revenue, maximize your time, and create a seamless blend between your business and personal life.

Cold Leads Aren’t Cold—They Just Don’t Want to Talk to You…Yet

Let’s be honest—most “cold” leads aren’t actually dead. They’re just ignoring you.

Kind of like how we say:

  • "I’m too busy" when we really mean "It’s not a priority."

  • "Let’s catch up soon" when we really mean "I don’t actually have plans to follow up."

  • "It’s just not the right time" when we really mean "I’m not convinced yet."

We use words like cold leads to avoid the real reason they’re not responding: We haven’t given them a compelling reason to.

Instead of chasing them with the same old "Just checking in" messages, it’s time to flip the old generic script and make them want to respond.

Here’s how…

Step 1: Identify Your Cold Leads


Before you can revive dead leads, you need to know where they were buried (and what killed them).

Take one lead who hasn’t responded to you. This could be someone who:

✅ Came from social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
✅ Engaged once, then disappeared
✅ Ignored your messages completely

Write down:

  • Their First Name

  • Where You Found Them (Platform + Group, Post, or Ad)

Examples:

  • Jack – Facebook – Post in the Moving to TN Facebook Group

  • Lisa - Local Networking Event - Exchanged contact info after discussing the market

  • Tom - Open House - Filled out the check-in form

None of them are responsive. Now, let’s focus on why one, Jack, ignored me.

Step 2: Why Did You Reach Out?


Most agents send messages without thinking about the real reason the lead should care.

Write down why you originally contacted this person (99% it’s a super obvious answer so don’t overthink this).

Example:

  • Jack - Facebook - Moving to TN Facebook Group

  • He made a post looking for a Realtor to help his family move to TN from out-of-state

  • I reached out because I wanted to help him find a home in TN

Step 3: What Did I Say?

Now, write down the exact message(s) you sent.

Examples:

  • Comment: I made a comment on his post:

    • “Hey Jack! I’m a local real estate agent in TN. Born and raised, would love to help!”

  • DM: I sent Jack a DM as well:

    • “Jack! Saw your comment and wanted to reach out and see if you had any real estate questions I could help answer for you.”

Step 4: What “Value” Did I Offer?

Now, let’s be brutally honest: Why should Jack have responded to me?

For each message you sent, write down the reason you gave them to want to reply to you using this simple formula:

“Jack should respond to me over other agents because [x]”

Examples:

Comment: 

  • “Hey Jack! I’m a local real estate agent in TN. Born and raised, would love to help!”

  • Jack should respond to me because I’m a local agent who knows the area.

DM: 

  • “Jack! Saw your comment and wanted to reach out and see if you had any real estate questions I could help answer for you.”

    • Jack should respond to me because I sent a friendly, direct message offering to answer his real estate questions (aka I’m helpful and nice).

Now ask yourself:

Does what I said actually give Jack a compelling reason to reply?

Is there tangible value here—or did I just make it about me?

If your message was mostly about who you are instead of what they get, you already know why they ignored you.

In Step 5, I’ll help you understand why what I said didn’t work (and in Step 6 I’ll show you what actually works).

Step 5: Why Didn’t They Respond?

Let’s flip the perspective—if you were Jack, would you respond to my message?

Probably not. Here’s why:

❌ It was about me, not you – "I’m a local agent" is not a unique or compelling reason to reply.
❌ No real value was offered – There’s nothing in my message that helps Jack right now.
❌ It sounded like every other agent’s pitch – If Jack got hundreds of comments and messages, they all probably looked eerily similar to mine.

Life-Changing Thought:

People buy our services first with their time and trust. The commission is just the tip at the end.

To put it another way, we sell leads/prospects our value propositions, and they buy them with their time and trust.

So if what we offer isn’t perceived as valuable, why would they buy it?

Step 6: The Compelling Response

Most of the time, agents blame the leads for their lack of response, saying things like:

❌ "They aren’t serious buyers."
❌ "They’re just wasting my time."
❌ "They must have already found another agent."

Yes, some people truly aren’t serious. Some are just browsing. Some will never buy. But I don’t think it’s nearly as many as we are led to believe.

Maybe we just haven’t said or done anything that they perceive as worth their time. 

And that’s actually good news because that’s something you can change.

How To Make Them Want to Respond:

When reaching out to someone—whether by call, text, comment, or DM—use this simple formula:

👉 "Jack should respond to me over other agents because [X]."

Now, let’s put it into practice:

✅ "Jack should respond to me over other agents because I have a guidebook: ‘Everything You Need to Know About Moving to TN.’"
✅ "Jack should respond to me over other agents because I have a list of builder incentives that could save him thousands of dollars."
✅ "Jack should respond to me over other agents because I work with lenders offering rate buy-downs and zero-down payment programs that could make buying a home significantly more affordable."
✅ "Jack should respond to me over other agents because I have a pre-move checklist and concierge service to make relocation easier."

Jack can now have real tangible items in his possession. And guess what? People are 70-80% more likely to buy something when they can see it.
Source: businesswire

Get Ahead Task: Build Your Own Value Offer

1️⃣ Pick one cold lead.
2️⃣ Write down 5 real value propositions you could offer them.
3️⃣ Pick one and actually build it.

If you create a guidebook, write it.
If you offer a checklist, make it.
If you have a vendor list, compile it.

And then—send it to your cold leads.

Worst case? They keep not responding.

Best case? You just turned a cold lead into a warm conversation.

Don’t forget; you’re just one compelling value offer away from raising your leads from the dead.

If you want a list of 17 value propositions you can do for FREE (including my top one that KILLS it with clients) click below.

REPLAY (←click to watch the live call, join the next one on Wednesdays 9:00am CST)

SLIDES (← click. View the slideshow used during the call.)

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You’re Sending Free Business to Vendors—Here’s How to Get Paid (Before They Stop Accepting Referrals)

Top agents are earning $500–$1,500/month from vendors they already trust—here’s how you can, too, without awkward conversations, extra selling, or changing how you do business.

Next Wednesday, February 26th, at 9:00am CST you’ll learn …

 ✅ The simple shift that turns vendor referrals into real, predictable income—without feeling awkward or pushy.

 ✅ Why vendors want to compensate agents (when done correctly)—and how to approach it the right way.

 ✅ The biggest mistake agents make when referring vendors—and how to fix it so you actually get paid.

 ✅ How to structure vendor partnerships so you can earn $500–$1,500/month without selling anything extra.

 ✅ A step-by-step system top agents use to create win-win referral agreements that benefit both you and your vendors.

This is a FREE training, but we will limit spots to registered individuals only and cap it. So register now to save your seat!

Disclaimer: The content provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified professional and conduct your own due diligence before making any decisions.